All nouns, except proper nouns, are common nouns. Nouns are subdivided into countable nouns and noncount nouns.
Countable nouns have a singular and a plural and answer the question: "how many?"
Combien de leçons étudiez-vous?
(How many lessons are you studying?)
Another group of common nouns is so called collective nouns. They designate a group or a collection of beings or objects considered as a single unit.
la foule, le public, la famille
(the crowd, the public, the family)
Collective nouns usually have a singular and a plural.
la foule, les foules
(the crowd, the crowds)
la famille, les familles (the family, the
families)
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